Revive Your Resume for New Opportunities

Revive, by definition, is to restore from an inactive or unused state; to become active or flourishing again. After weeks or months of submitting your resume to a countless number of job postings with little or no response, the job search process can become very frustrating and discouraging. Maybe it’s time to consider reviving your resume and bringing it back to life.

The current job market is fast-paced and competitive. To give yourself a fair shot and an impressive edge over your competition, a focused and comprehensive resume is essential. It’s your personal marketing tool that will show the prospective employer what you can bring to the table. Below are several tips on how you can bring your current resume back to life and start getting noticed by employers.

Ways to Revive Your Resume

Lead with the Important Information
The top third of your resume should display a Career Summary which effectively presents your skills, qualifications, achievements, competencies and areas of expertise as they pertain to the targeted position. When employers open your document, you want to lead with your strongest information and entice them to continue reading. All bullet pointed job duties should also be organized in order of importance.

Customize Your Resume for Every Position
Long gone are the days where a resume is one size fits all. You cannot simply submit the exact same document to every job posting and expect to receive a phone call. It is essential to tailor and customize your resume before sending it to a prospective employer. Use the company’s job description to dictate what you should add or eliminate from your resume. If they require key skills or qualifications, be sure to adjust your resume to show your experience in these areas. Busy employers will not have time to probe you for more information on your skills and knowledge. They prefer to read it in the resume you submit. Do the work for the employer!

Use Keywords/Buzz Words
Busy hiring managers scanning through resumes will not have the time to read every single word. Be sure to add relevant keywords for your industry to make your resume more eye-catching. These words should emphasize the key skills required in the job description.

Format
Your current resume may not be in the best format to show off your experience and skills. This could be the reason why you are not scoring interviews. There is no right or wrong format but it’s important to choose the one which works best in your situation. There are several different types including, reverse-chronological, functional and combination. Reverse chronological highlights solid work history and progressive industry experience. Functional draws attention to your skills and strengths and is best used by candidates changing careers or with employment gaps. A combination resume is a hybrid of the reverse-chronological and functional, which lists your skills and experience first, followed by your employment history in a reverse-chronological order. Keep style and font consistent throughout to ensure an aesthetically pleasing resume that is easy on the eye.

CONTRIBUTED BY:

Darlene Zambruski is a resume writing expert and CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer) with more than 13 years of industry experience. She has authored 10,000+ resumes in every industry and at every career level.